Tuesday, 17 April 2012

As in true Gambian style, well perhaps that’s a bit unfair,
our trip to Banjul for our resident permits was cancelled at the last minute as
the immigrations department had not received the vouchers from finance for us!!
So another trip to the kombos beckons in the not too distant future.

However, Gambia has gone Taiwan crazy in the kombos. Gambian
and Taiwanese flags strung up to every lamp post and cross roads. Pictures of
President Jammeh and President Maalso
attached to aforesaid lamp posts. Billboards welcoming President Ma to The
Gambia prominently displayed along the main routes from the airport. You may
wonder what this is all about. Well, President Ma made a state visit to The
Gambia last week. Taiwan are investing millions, if not billions, into The
Gambia and funding all sorts of educational and various other projects. One of
which some VSO volunteers are working on, but that’s a whole other
fiasco...sorry, story! I just happened to come out of a cafe onto Kairaba
Avenue, think Great Western Road and you get the idea how busy it is, at 5pm to
find it deserted. The road had been closed to traffic with police and army lining
the street and telling people to keep back. Soon enough President Jammeh passed
by accompanied by President Ma, standing up through the sun roof waving to
those watching in the street. It took several minutes for the convoy to pass
by. First we had the secret service, through whose open doors I glimpsed some
AK47s lying on the back seat. Then came the press cars, fit to burst with TV
cameras and photographers, followed by motorcycle outriders with President
Jammeh behind. I got it on video, but it’s blink or miss it stuff. Look out for
him dressed in his obligatory white! After the presidential convoy, came gellis
full of APRC t-shirted occupants. I think every gelli in the kombos had been
hired out just to follow him. The procession of these gellis must have lasted
at least 5 minutes if not more.It was
quite a sight...not sure I could see many buses following Cameron on a state
visit! Quite enough excitement for one day I think!

Now I am back to the hot of Basse....and boy is it hot up here! I left Banjul on the first ferry at 7am and got straight into a sept-plas at Barra.........7 hours later I arrived in Basse! The exciting news is that the tarmac road has now reached Basse, you’re not allowed to drive on it yet....but it’s come!!! No more bone rattling, head knocking dirt roads to contend with soon!